Ford Focus ST vs SEAT Leon Cupra

Tag : Colour Curtain

The latest offering from Spanish car maker SEAT is the new kid onthe block and it takes on one of the stalwart members of the hothatch club in the form of the Ford Focus ST .

SEAT is not the most well known of brands and this works in both apositive and negative light. The negative is that consumers, whoare notoriously brand sensitive, will not be eager to invest in anunknown manufacturer.

The upside of this is that those that are brave enough to buy theSEAT will have one of the most potent hatchbacks at their disposal.

The Audi / Volkswagen group own SEAT and it essentially has a Golf5 chassis. However, SEAT’s own engineers tweaked the car tosuit their own needs.

The Ford Focus ST has been around for a while now and it still continues to be one ofthe major players in the hot hatch market. It is quick, stylish andhas a good reputation amongst owners.

The car hails from America yet is most popular in countries like South Africa , United Kingdom and Australia .

Styling
Hatchbacks typically need to stand out from their lesser poweredbrothers and here both the ST and the Cupra excel. They are not as(in your face) as the chunky Opel OPC and the Renault Megane F1 thug .

Gone are the little wheels and simple black bumpers and in theirplace are huge colour coded body kits as well delicious alloys onlow profile tyres. The Cupra looked especially hot in a brightyellow whilst the Focus in black looked imposing.

Overall it has subtle hints that show that these two cars mean business. Twinexhausts, a little spoiler on the roofline and a gaping frontbumper for the Ford while the SEAT has a single big exhaust andblack mirrors.

Ride/Performance
Both of these cars have turbochargers but this is where thesimilarity ends. The Ford has a unique engine in the form of thewell known 2.5 litre 5 cylinder unit that can also be found in the Volvo C30 . With 166kW, this is not a slow car. Ford claims that theirvehicle will hit 100km/h in 6.8 seconds but to be realistic, expectthat time to increase to about 7.5 seconds. The sound of thatengine is fantastic and will have every enthusiast smiling as youdrive past.

The Ford can easily be driven gently around town or pushed hardwhen the need arises. It isn't a harsh ride and gives you the sensethat your car is connected to the tarmac.

The Cupra has taken the well known 2 litre 4 cylinder motor fromthe VW / Audi supply depot and tuned it up to provide 177kW whichis considerably more than the GTi .

With that amount of power, the Spaniard will only take 6.5 secondsto reach 100km/h. If you keep your foot down in both cars, 200km/harrives quickly as does a night in your local jail… It feelsan awful lot faster than the Ford and in a straight line race, itwould probably beat it.

Cupra stands for Cup Racing and the suspension is set up for a verysporty driver. On potholes and speed bumps it could be regarded asa bit too firm for everyone’s taste. It is smooth though whenthe road opens up and, if you don’t drive it hard, it couldactually pass for a daily driver.

Interior
The SEAT has a top class interior which lacks modern day items suchas satellite navigation. However this could be easily rectifiedwith the purchase of an aftermarket unit such as those offered by Garmin .

The seats are extremely comfortable and feature red stitching onthe edges for an extra sporty look. The gear stick has the SEAT andCupra logos on it further showing off the sporty nature of the car.The highlight has to be the steering wheel! It fits snugly in yourhands and feels as if you are part of the car.

It’s a safe car too with big anti-lock brakes as well as anadvanced traction control system. There are also the EmergencyBrake Assist and Electronic Stability Program to help tou out. Ifthese items can’t save you then you will have to rely on thedual front airbags as well as the front side and curtain airbags.

The Ford, on the other hand has a peculiar interior. The main thingyou will notice are the 3 dials in the middle of the console. Oneof these measures turbo boost and is a great feature for all petrolheads. It’s a simple layout though with the only hint thatyou are driving an ST model is the logo on the bottom of thesteering wheel.

The seats on the test vehicle were covered in leather but insteadof offering support, I found myself sliding around when the carwent around a corner. The interior of this car is a little blandand Ford may have this rectified with the face-lifted model that isdue for imminent launch.

Like the Cupra, the Focus is aimed at driving fun but still has thesafety net ready for those who take the fun concept a bit too far.It has ABS, EBD and 6 airbags dotted around the cabin.

Verdict
Once again it’s a close race. Or is it? The Ford is a goodcar, there is no denying that. But it sadly isn’t good enoughto take on the mighty Cupra. The Spaniard is better looking,handles better, is faster and is well worth the extra money.

Discuss both of these cars in our Global Rapid Info Forum . If you want to find out more about the two cars:
SEAT Leon Cupra
Ford Focus ST